When most of the specialty stores are gone.
Well, more like, sorta kinda miss us, as in "Whatever happened to so and so, I used to like going in there...."
I've started to explain why I think no market can really hold up at previous levels without the presence of brick and mortar stores with one phrase: "Out of sight, Out of mind."
Which might seem ridiculous, considering the omniscient presence of the Internet. I mean, EVERYTHING is there, probably cheaper, and only a button push away from showing up on your door.
Still -- I'll stick to my observation. I can't totally explain it, but 30 years of retail has shown me over and over again, that the less physical presence of a particular brand, the less it sells.
Sure you can get just about any brand of sports card online, cheaper. But frankly -- who cares anymore?
I think the air will just slowly go out of the tire -- so slowly no one will understand it until it's too late. Some will prosper, but most...will not. I think no market can truly do well once it becomes dominated by the online sales.
Books, music, games, toys -- everything will make less overall than they did before the advent.
Of course, the best solution is to have a mix of everything: small stores, big stores, and online.
But will they be smart enough to understand that?
Nope.
Not until it's too late.
I know that everyone will disagree with this -- they'll think it's a ridiculous proclamation.
But do you want to bet? I'm saying that the overall sales numbers per capita in today's dollars will be less in 20 years than it is today. Not the amount of material -- there will probably be more of it than ever, and therein lies the problem. Because so much of it will be discounted -- even free. I'll refine that further -- there will be less overall PROFIT per purveyor than before.
But online is ether -- it only has a physical presence in our minds. The product exists when we think of it, when we go to look for it, when we push the button to shop.
And that, my friends, is not going to be anywhere near as stimulative as actually having the product right in front of you.
I just think people overall are underestimating the importance of brick and mortar stores, and they may not realize it until it's too late. It would relatively easy to keep brick and mortars around compared to trying to bring them back once they're gone.
Just saying.
Well, more like, sorta kinda miss us, as in "Whatever happened to so and so, I used to like going in there...."
I've started to explain why I think no market can really hold up at previous levels without the presence of brick and mortar stores with one phrase: "Out of sight, Out of mind."
Which might seem ridiculous, considering the omniscient presence of the Internet. I mean, EVERYTHING is there, probably cheaper, and only a button push away from showing up on your door.
Still -- I'll stick to my observation. I can't totally explain it, but 30 years of retail has shown me over and over again, that the less physical presence of a particular brand, the less it sells.
Sure you can get just about any brand of sports card online, cheaper. But frankly -- who cares anymore?
I think the air will just slowly go out of the tire -- so slowly no one will understand it until it's too late. Some will prosper, but most...will not. I think no market can truly do well once it becomes dominated by the online sales.
Books, music, games, toys -- everything will make less overall than they did before the advent.
Of course, the best solution is to have a mix of everything: small stores, big stores, and online.
But will they be smart enough to understand that?
Nope.
Not until it's too late.
I know that everyone will disagree with this -- they'll think it's a ridiculous proclamation.
But do you want to bet? I'm saying that the overall sales numbers per capita in today's dollars will be less in 20 years than it is today. Not the amount of material -- there will probably be more of it than ever, and therein lies the problem. Because so much of it will be discounted -- even free. I'll refine that further -- there will be less overall PROFIT per purveyor than before.
But online is ether -- it only has a physical presence in our minds. The product exists when we think of it, when we go to look for it, when we push the button to shop.
And that, my friends, is not going to be anywhere near as stimulative as actually having the product right in front of you.
I just think people overall are underestimating the importance of brick and mortar stores, and they may not realize it until it's too late. It would relatively easy to keep brick and mortars around compared to trying to bring them back once they're gone.
Just saying.